I just ordered a Macs River Runner prop protector for my 2.5hp stinkpot I use on my big canoe. I hope to be able to get a little more time on the river this year. I’ve been on a steady downward slide for three or four stressful years.
There’s a launch only about a mile from my house. With the stinkpot, I ought to be able to run upriver from there and float back fishing.
hey D , when the grass gets thick …
...... around there in certain spots (later) we've always ended up having to raise the jet and clear it off . Been two years since I fished it last .
For the most part there's plenty of open un-grassed water without that problem , but to and from the launch seems to always be thick when the grass is in full bloom .
It really is a GREAT stretch of river around there . Any more I'll tie a short steelon leader on and use 15/4 braided because just about every time out there we get hit by surprise Muskies , sometimes several times a day . Even though I think the braid and steelon hinders the Smallie bite some , one gets tired of loosing lures to the surprise Muskies .
There are definately some huge Muskies in there , quite a few of them . If I lived around there with a canoe I'd be regularly dragging around a live bait rig (as in 8"-12" bait) on large float (locked in) , while working the spinning rod for Smallies .
last time there we were plucking Smallies off the shoreline and a Muskie takes my spinner . The line doesn't break right away and the Muskie heads for deeper water so I think maybe I'll get lucky cause the fight was on for a 1/2 minute ... then it cuts and all gone . I says to the nephew I thought maybe there was a chance . Nephew acts like he didn't notice what just happened and makes fun of me saying it wasn't Muskie and I didn't know how to play a fish ... Ha , Ha , less than minute later he gets nailed by a Muskie and starts getting all excited , then he breaks off saying did you see that monster , what a powerful fish ... I said , what fish you were snagged cause you don't know how to retrieve your spinner w/o getting hung up !! ... he says , no it was a Muskie ... I say sure , sure it was , don't you mean a Carp .
Leighrobin has been on me for a few years now to carry a net on the canoe (which I don't) because she's afraid to touch a Muskie for fear of getting sliced and chewed up .
I carry a net and plastic grippers
I haven’t been nailed by a musky yet, but it happens. I was nailed by something big lower down on the upper Potomac - around Riverbend - one time. But I was fishing for bluegill on an ultralight noodle rod on 4lb test and never had a chance. I had a bluegill on and was bringing it when all of a sudden that “bluegill” reversed course and spooled me. The line broke off right at the lure or close to it, so I had to retrieve 90 yards of monofilament and retie. I always figured it was a big catfish that had done it, but it could have been a musky too.
just for kicks have a look at …
....... a few pics. of Muskie catches from the Potomac .
http://www.dnr.state.md.us/fisheries/fishingreport/log.asp
been some good size Wallieye being taken also ... think it was a year or two ago , DNR shocked up a monster Walleye ...
There’s big fish in the Potomac
A buddy of mine who fishes with me sometimes used to work for MD Department of Environmental Quality (they do actually have one, believe it or not). Anyway, DEQ used to electroshock sometimes too. He has also done some fish counts while diving in the Potomac. He says that there are some humongous fish in there - including some catfish as big as him (he’s a 6’ broad-shouldered Swede). The “big” smallmouth that we take aren’t the big ones in the pools. The big ones just don’t get caught. He said that when electroshocking they used to regularly turn up fish to beat state records taken by sporting means.
I used to think that …
...... the nice size ones (Smallies) that we catch often enough like 20"-21" were great (and they are) , but a couple years ago I saw a monster Smallie swim right under the boat , had to be 26" or more ... I hope to catch one of those from the river someday (just once will be fine , and only because I've seen one in the river) . Wonder how much a Smallie like that would weigh (I'm guessing 9 lbs. or so) ?? Meanwhiles , I guess I got some time left to find one .